Method and apparatus for cutting and severing glass.



F. J. mm. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AN!) SEVERING GLASS 1 %62567Q APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. I916.

Patented Apr, 9, 1953 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. T

.Z'NYEHTUR. FR INDIE J H ZPPL F. J. RIPPL.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR cumma AND SEVERING GLASS. L fi fiq m ntd Apr.9, 1918. Z SHEETS SHEET 2.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3- I916.

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' To all whom z't'may concern:

" ED STTES 12 FRANCIS 131221., 01 CLEVELAND, OHIO, AssIGNoE 'ro GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A conroaa'rion o'E NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SEVERING- GLASS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed October 8, 1916., SeriaINo. 123,49 1.

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. RIPP'L, a citizen of the United States,residing. at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsv and Apparat'usfor Cutting and Severing Glass, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the cutting or subdivision of glass bodies andmore particularly to the separation, detachment or cutting of glassarticles from blanks, for instance, rods or tubing, from which they havebeen formed.

The object of my invention is to improve the method of and apparatusfor. detaching glass articles from one another whereby clean and moreeven cuts are produced, and the stickin ofthe severing devices, whichhas hereto ore been a source of trouble, is entirely obviated.

I have found that by imparting to the severing devices at the moment ofengagement with the glass a vibrating cutting movement, the sticking ofthe severing devices is avoided and clean cuts are produced.Accordingly, in the practice of my invention I impart to the: cutting orsevering devices a compound movement consisting of a continuousapproaching and receding cutting movement and also a rapidly vibratingmovement.

My invention is of especial importance in connection with automaticglass working machinery, and I have illustrated one embodiment of myinvention as applied to the machine for automatically blowing lamp bulbsfrom glass tubing, illustrated in the application Serial No. 39,697,filed July 13, 1915, in my"name and that of Frank B.

4 For a better understanding of the novel features of myinventionreference may be had to the drawings accompanying this application inwhich Figure-1 is an elevation of the bulb blowing machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 1s a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a plan view of the mechanism for detaching-the completed bulb. Fig.4 is a side elevation thereof. 5 is a partial vertical section iand Fig.6 1s a section on the line 66 of ig. 4.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it'will be seen that the machinecomprises a number of tubular holders A, each of which receives a lengthof glass tubing. .As shown, these are six in number and are eachrotatably supported in a frame comprising upper and lower spiders B andC respectively. The said spiders are carried by-the central hollow shaftD which extends through the bedplate E of the machine, the latter beingsupported by standards F. The central shaft is rotated intermittently soas to cause each-of the tube holders to stop for a definite period rwith the depending glass tube in operative relation to one of a seriesof means each 'of which has a definite function in producing the-bulb.These means, as shown, corre- .spond in number to the number of-holdersand are indicated as 'G' to L inclusive in Fig. 2. The means Gis forfusing the bottom of the glass tube, the means H for suitably shapingthe bottom of the. glass tube and the means I for further fusingtheportion of the glass tube which is to form the bulb. Means J includesthe mold and means for bringing the sameinto operative relation with theend of the glass tube. Means K is for fusing the glass tube above thebulb preliminary to detaching the bulb, and means L is for detaching thecompleted bulb and causing its discharge into a suitable receptacle.

The intermittent drive for the center shaft comprises a disk M, slots inwhich are engaged by a pin N extending from an arm 0 mounted on a shaftP, which is driven'by' a power source, such as the motor R, which drivesa shaft S connected by a speed reducing gear train T with a shaft Ucarrying the bevel gear V engaging the bevel gear W mounted upon thesaid shaft P. The shaft P is thus maintained in constant rotation, andconsequently the arm 0 and the pin N operate at each revolution of theshaft P to engage the disk M and advance the same the distance betweensuccessive stops. v

The holders A and their contained tubes are constantly rotated, and, tothis end, each holder carries a pinion A. These pin-. ions all intermeshwith a'large toothed wheel X, which is mounted on a sleeve on thecentral shaft D. The said sleeve carries circumferentially thereof apinion Y which is en aged by a gear P on the shaft P.-

n the making of glass bulbs as above described, and as is moreparticularly set forth 5 No. 39,697, filed July 13, 1.915, the rotaryframe with its tube holders A is caused to be intermittently driven andstopped at the various operating" points G to L inclusive. The presentapplication is chiefly concerned with the operations performed atthe-points K and L and accordingly the other operations will not beparticularly'and specifically described herein. After the moldingdevices J operate to form the bulb the intermittent rotary mechanismcarries the glass tube into operative relation with the fusing means K.During this movement an arm 1 is elevated by the engagement of a roller2 thereon with a short segmental track 3, thus causing the correspondingchuck 4 to be opened and the glass tube held thereby to descend and theend thereof to rest on the downwardly inclined surface of gage 5. Theglass tube is thus allowed to descend until the cam 3 is passed, whenthe chuck again closes, gripping the glass tube 6, and in this positionthe parts move into operative re;

. lation with the means K. This comprises four gas and air burners 7which direct a flame against the glass tube at the cut-off point. Afterthe proper intervals, the glass tube is carried to'the cut-off means L,which is shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. In connection withthis meansa burner 8 may be provided which directs its flame against thecut-off portion of the tube. This means comprises a pair of knife blades9 between the opposed cutting edges of which the glass tube is broughtto rest with the portion which has been previously fused in line withthe said cutting edges. The said knife blades are each removably held ina holder arm 10, and each arm is pivoted at 11 on a stud 12 mounted inan arm 13 supported on a pinion 14. The teeth of the respective pinions14 intermesh. As shown in Fig. 5, one of the pinions 14 is mounted on ashaft 16 which carries at the bottom thereof the arm 17. The end of arm17 engages a cam standard 21.carried by the bed plate of the A machine.A bearing22 is sleeved on the stud 20*and the shaft 16 so as to hold thesaid parts in properly spaced relation. The

fulcrumed holder arms 10 have extensions 23 g which are connected byspring 24 and have and so the rapid vibration of the knife blades. Thepurpose of this is to prevent the sticking of the knife blades when theycome in contact with the fused glass and so to produce a clean out. Thedetached bulb falls through a chute 28 into a suitable receptacle notshown.

The gas and air mixture burners comprised in the above describedapparatus is preferably distributed through a manifold 30 provided withsuitable regulating valves 31.

While I have set forth the invention in the specific mannerrequired bythe statutes, it is understood that the embodiment shown is forillustrative purposes only and that my invention is of wide applicationand for the various capable of assuming other forms than thatillustrated.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe-United States, is: 1. The method of' severing plastic glass whichconsists in subjecting the same at the severing point to a multiplicityof rapidly applied cutting or shearing'impacts.

2. The method of severing glass which consists of bringing the same to aplastic condition and while in this condition subjecting the same at thesevering point to a multiplicity of rapidly applied cutting or shearingimpacts. v

3. The method of severing glass rods or tubing which consists inbringing the same to a plastic condition at the separating point, andwhile in this condition subjecting the glass at the said point to amultiplicity of rapidly applied cutting or shearing impacts. 4. Themethod of severing glass articles which consists in bringing the glassinto a plastic condition at the severing point and while in thiscondition bringing vibrating severing devices into cuttingengagementtherewith.

5. An apparatus for severing glass comprising severing devices adaptedto be brought into engagement-with the glass, and means imparting arapidly vibrating motion to the cutting device at the moment ofengagement. p 6. An apparatus for cutting and severing plastic glass.comprising severing devices adapted to be brought into engagement withthe glass and means for imparting a vibrating cutting motion to thesevering devices at the moment of engagement.

7. An apparatus for severing glass tubing comprising means for fusingthe tubing at the severing point, severing devices adapted to bebroughtinto engagement with the tube at the fused point and means forimparting to the severing devices a rapidly vibrating cutting movementat the moment of engagement with the tube. I

8. An apparatus for severing glass tubing comprising fusing means andmeans adapted to bring the fusing means and the tube into workingrelation, and means for'bringing the fused tube and severing devicesinto working relation, and means imparting a rapidly vibrating cuttingmovement tothe severing devices when they are brought into engagementwith the fused tube.

v 9. In an automatic machine for Working glass articles, the combinationof holders and means for advancing said holders step by step, with afusing and severing means in the path of saidholderscomprising vibratingsevering devices adapted to'be brought into cutting engagement with saidarticles.

v 10. In an automatic machine for working and severing glass rods andtubing, the comglass articles from glass rods and tubing, the

combination of holders forthe rods or tubing and means for rotating saidholders intermittently' through a redetermined path whereby thedifferent orming operations are performed on the ends of the rod and,

' tubing, with means for lowering the rod and tubing after theforming ofthe articles, and fusing and severing means located in the path of theadvancing articles comprising vibrating severing devices adapted to bebrought into detaching relation with said.

articles. a

12. In an automatic machine'for forming glass articles from glass rodsand tubing, the

combination of holders for the rodsand tubingand means for rotating saidholders intermittently through a predetermined path whereby thedifferent prming operations are performed on the ends of the rod ortubing, with means for lowering the rod and tubing a distance equal tothe length of the formed articles, and fusing and severing deviceslocated in the path of the advancing articles comprising cutting bladesadapted to be brought into detaching relation with said articles, andmeans for rapidly vibrating said cutting blades at the moment of theirengagement with said articles.

13. In an automatic machine for forming articles from glass rods andtubing, the combination of holders for the rods and tubing and means forrotating said holders intermittently through a predetermined pathwhereby the different forming operations are performed at the end ,ofthe rod or tubing, with means for lowering the rod or tubing a distanceequal to ,the length of the formed articles, and fusing and severingdevices 10- catedin the path of the advancing articles comprisingcutting blades adapted to. be

.brought into detaching relation with said articles, and a rapidlyoperating cam in engagement with said cutting blades for the purposedescribed.

14. An apparatus for severing glass rods and tubing comprising means forfusing the rodor tubing at the severing point, cutting or severingblades adapted to engage the rods or tubing at the fusing point andmeans for rapidly vibrating said cutting blades at the moment ofengagement with said rod or tubing.

15. An apparatus for severing glass rod and tubing comprising means forfusing the rod or tubing at the severing point, pivoted cutting bladesadapted to be brought intosevering relation at the fusing point, and arapidly operated cam in engagement with said cutting blades forimparting thereto a vibrating motion during the cutting operation.

16. An apparatus for severing glass rod:-

and tubing comprising two cutter blade sup ports and means for causingthem to advance toward and recede from each other, levers on saidsupports carrying at one end cutting blades and at the other end bearingsurfaces, a rapidly operating cam wheel located between said camsurfaces and a spring means maintaining the bearing surfaces inengagement with the cam wheel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 30 day of Sept,1916.

FRANCIS J. RIPPL.

